


The Apprentice

by foxes_in_henrietta



Category: Green Creek Series - T.J. Klune
Genre: Magical Robbie, Witch Robbie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2018-06-03
Packaged: 2019-05-17 21:07:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14839178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foxes_in_henrietta/pseuds/foxes_in_henrietta
Summary: When Robbie finds there's no where to turn when it comes to dealing with his magic, he finds help in the strangest ways.





	The Apprentice

The ashes fell into his eyes as soon as he opened them. He felt the sharp pain in his sides and on in his leg. It took all his strength to sit up, his back felt like someone stepped on it and ever bone in his body felt like it was on fire. Once he finally managed to sit up, he noticed the cause of the pain in his leg. A tree branch stuck out of his calf and his sides were clawed up, now sticky with blood. The heat around him was stifling which brought his eyes upwards to see the damage around him. 

Robbie gasped out as he saw the trees spread out around him in a circle, every single one on fire. He put a hand over his mouth. He had let his powers get out of control until it exploded and this was the damage. He closed his eyes to try to block out the sight before him, but the memory of how it happened came back to him. 

 

He was running from Osmund. The faster he ran, the faster he’d get away. Osmund wanted to use his powers, the powers he didn’t know how to control. How could he trust someone who wanted to control his powers and end up killing him in the end. He didn’t even understand his powers. He reached the dead end, trees all around him. There was nowhere out and the wolves were closing in. 

“Come on, Robbie.” Osmund’s cool voice came. “We won’t hurt you.” He lied. He was always lying. 

“No.” Robbie whimpered. He backed up against a tree. 

“Yes, Robbie. You’d be helping us and stopping a lot of bad people. If you don’t come now, I’m afraid we’re going to have to use force.” Osmund’s voice was harsh now. Robbie saw the wolves crowding in. His heart started racing and he felt the power surging forward to his fingertips. Not here. Not now. 

“Leave me alone!” Robbie screamed to the power and the wolves. He spread his hands out in front of him as the power became too much to bear. The power flowed out his hands. 

The feeling was impossible. It felt like all his energy was escaping. He barely had time to see the blast as his magic exploded against the trees and the bodies of wolves around him. Everything burned and he was blasted off his feet. As soon as he hit the ground, he was unconscious.

 

He opened his eyes then and looked to his left and right. Bodies piled up everywhere. Ahead of him, skin burnt and eyes wide, laid Osmund. Robbie slowly pulled the branch from his leg and pulled all strength he had to his hand which he put over the wound. It took a while for the magic to come, but when it did it flowed through his fingers into the wound which blistered and stopped bleeding. Good enough for now until he could get it looked at. 

Something rustled ahead of him, and for a moment he thought Osmund was alive. He got ready by throwing up his hands. A man in a denim jacket with a snake tattoo around his neck stepped out of the debris with his hands raised. 

“Easy, kid. I ain’t gonna hurt ya.” The man said. “I’m with you.” In response, his snake started glowing. He walked over to Robbie and held out a hand. “I was called here by the amount of magic you let out. And from what I see, you did a fucking good job at fucking all this shit up.” 

“They were gonna hurt me.” Robbie said when he found his voice. He let himself be pulled to his feet. “I don’t know how to control it.” 

“I know how you feel, kid. No one gets it on their own. You need a friend.” The man held his hand out and Robbie felt his leg completely heal. “I’m Gordo. You’re gonna be my apprentice.” 

 

That was six months ago.  Now Robbie had a bed to lay his head down at night, and a master to learn under. It wasn’t much but it was certainly more than he had had before. And Gordo wasn’t all bad. Gordo owned an auto shop, so he wasn’t around much except for training sessions and dinner which they usually had with Gordo’s boyfriend, Mark. 

Living with someone wasn’t easy. Robbie had to learn to control his temper more. Gordo had a temper too, and flare ups happened often. Once all the plates broke in the cabinets from a shouting match between the two witches. Robbie had thrown up his hands and Gordo threw his up to defend himself. The result was two hours of picking china out of the walls and floor. 

Training took a while to become normal. Robbie didnt know that he appreciated it as much as he did. Gordo wasn’t kind. But he was good. He didn’t touch him or make him do anything too hard. But he did push Robbie. He pushed him to where he needed to go. 

“I can’t do it.” Robbie shouted at Gordo when he couldn’t manage to throw up a shield around himself. 

“You can.” Gordo was sitting at his desk, writing something down in his books. “You gotta clear your mind, kid. You’re thinking too hard about the past. What about the future? You don’t get a shield up, you might not survive. You can’t be blowing down trees all the time.”

Robbie gritted his teeth and tried again. “I can’t! I don’t feel connected to my magic.” 

Gordo looked up. “Right. You finally get it.” He stood up and walked to Robbie who took a step back. “Not going to hurt you.” He put a hand to Robbie’s chest. “Look. You gotta feel it here. Dig deep. All that pain and all that anger you have, put it in your magic and let it filter all of that shit out.” 

Robbie looked up to Gordo’s face and noticed the raven on his skin. “You got it easy. You have ways to filter and control your magic.” 

Gordo pulled away and looked at the tattoos all over his body. “I got these from different time in my life. Dad branded them on me. Each one has a story.” He looked to his apprentice. “If you want one, I’ll give you one.” 

Robbie waited for a moment. “I wanna learn how to channel the anger and fear.” 

Gordo went to his desk again and pulled out a piece of paper. “A raven is a symbol of life and magic. Or life magic together. It’ll help you filter and channel.” He held up a swirling raven image with runes in the wings. “It’ll hurt bad. I’ll have to get Mark in here to help hold you down.” 

“You got three guys in the garage. They can help.” Robbie pointed towards the direction where the others were probably taking their break. 

“They don’t know about this. This is why I won’t let you work in the garage yet. You’d run that big mouth of yours and probably burn the place up.” 

“I would--”   


“Simmer down. Run to the diner and grab some burgers and Mark will be here when you get back, got it?” 

Robbie stuffed his hands in his pockets and pouted. “I need money for that.” 

Gordo pulled his wallet out and threw it at the kid. “Get out of here.” 

 

It took a little over an hour before Robbie was back with a box full of greasy diner food. He sat it down on Gordo’s desk and looked around for his mentor. He wasn’t around. Robbie went out into the garage to see if the boys were there, which they weren’t. He guessed that they were sent home early which wasn’t normal for a Wednesday. He tried the apartment and then walked back into the office. 

“Gordo!” He called when he entered the room. 

Mark walked in after him and smiled. “Come on. He’s ready.” Robbie jumped a little when he saw the wolf, but he quickly calmed down and followed him back into the garage. 

Gordo had set up a chair and a tattoo gun. Robbie moved a step backwards, but Mark put a hand on his shoulder to keep him there. He walked forward with him and sat him down in the seat. 

“Time to ground you.” Gordo pushed Robbie’s sleeve up over his shoulder. “Hold on to Mark’s hand.” 

Mark held his hand out. “I got you, little one.” He said with his kind smile that he always had on. 

Robbie looked up at Gordo and nodded. “I’m ready.” Gordo responded with a smile as he dipped the needle into the ink and started to trace the design of the raven on his shoulder. Robbie bit his lip and kept himself from screaming. His hand gripped Mark’s hand tightly, his knuckles turning white. When Gordo was finished with the design, he stepped back and raised a hand. Robbie watched with intention as Gordo moved his hand forward, sinking the ink into Robbie’s skin. It burned and sizzled as the ink began to move underneath his skin like it was swimming. A few moments later, the skin started to bubble. Robbie let out a scream as the raven reappeared, this time moving and glowing. 

“Take your energy and pass it through him. You have to remember your past, but don’t forget to have a future now.” Gordo said. 

Robbie spent a while staring at the tattoo before jumping out of his seat and wrapping his arms around Gordo’s neck. He hugged him tightly. “Thank you.” He whispered. 

“That’s probably the first of many, kid.” Gordo held him close. “You’re not alone in this. I still have so much more to teach you.” 

Robbie pulled away and went to the mirror by the tool box. He looked at the raven’s wings fluttering. It seemed to be watching him intently. Robbie smiled at it which caused the raven to throw its head back and soar around his skin. 

**Author's Note:**

> This is for Dani! For the Wolfsong Summer Exchange. I hope you like it. Sorry it was not beta'd


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